School gun threat at junior high probed, found “non-credible”

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Sheriff’s deputies and school administrators wasted no time jumping on the latest gun threat made on social media Monday, this time at Rio Norte Junior High School, announcing by mid-afternoon that the treat was “non-credible.” Deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station responded to at least one report that a male seventh-grader at Rio Norte posted a threat on social media about bringing a gun to school. SCV Sheriff’s spokeswoman Shirley Miller said she spoke to Sgt. Tim Vanderleek who told her: “It was investigated and it was found not a credible threat to any students at the school.” As soon as school officials learned of the alleged threat made on Snapchat, they called the sheriff. “A student posted something on Snapchat,” said Dave Caldwell, spokesman for the William S. Hart Union High School District. “As soon as we received word of this, we brought in sheriff’s deputies.” The stir caused by Monday’s posting on social media is the latest in a series of recent threatening messages allegedly made by students in the SCV which have prompted a vigorous response by authorities. On March 1, a 15-year-old boy was detained on suspicion he made criminal threats to “shoot up the school and students” at the Santa Clarita Valley International school. Later on the same day, a 17-year-old boy was detained for having allegedly posted threats on social media towards West Ranch High School. In both cases, school officials called the SCV Sheriff’s Station immediately to report the threats. The boy in each case was later released to the custody of his parents. Each boy was expected to appear in Sylmar Juvenile Court, Greg Risling, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office told The Signal 12 days ago. “The 15-year-old and 17-year-old were booked and both were released to their respective parents with a future court date,” Detective Jeff Burrow of the SCV Sheriff’s Career Offenders, Burglary, and Robbery Apprehension Team – or COBRA – told The Signal at that time. jholt@signalscv.com 661-287-5527 On Twitter @jamesarthurholt